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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Sign in to save

Filling a critical data gap in nearshore microplastic loads and properties: results from the Surfing for Science project

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 2022
William De Haan, M.L. Ballesteros, Antoni Calafat, Ingrid Canales, Xavier Curto, Idoia Fuertes, Montse Guart, Galderic Lastras, Alejandro Molina, Oriol Uviedo, Anna Sànchez‐Vidal

Summary

Microplastics were sampled in nearshore bathing waters just a few meters from shore — a zone rarely studied due to difficulty accessing it with motorized vessels — and found to contain high concentrations of particles. Land-based plastic waste first encounters and breaks down in this nearshore zone before dispersing offshore. The study fills a critical data gap and highlights that the zone where people swim may have substantial microplastic loads with implications for human exposure.

Only few studies have investigated microplastic pollution at a few meters from shore, mainly due to methodological limitations such as limited access to bathing areas with motorized vessels. Land-sourced plastics first encounter the nearshore, where they effectively breakdown into smaller pieces such as microplastics ( Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/427235/document

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